Althouse: "The jihadist Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant posted pictures online of militants bulldozing a berm dividing Iraq and Syria..."

June 11, 2014

"The jihadist Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant posted pictures online of militants bulldozing a berm dividing Iraq and Syria..."

"... symbolising its goal of uniting its forces in the two countries.... Creating a cross-border Islamic state is one of the group's main aims."

29 comments:

exhelodrvr1 said...: Obama did promise to bring countries together!; 6/11/14, 5:25 PM
mccullough said...: That border is less than 100 years old. Laurence of Arabia would weep; 6/11/14, 5:35 PM
The Drill SGT said...: Interesting growth spurt. The Other day it was Syria, now Levant. The Levant traditionally has meant: Cyprus, Israel, Jordan, Lebanon, Syria, Palestine, and part of Turkey.; 6/11/14, 5:36 PM
YoungHegelian said...: Caliphiate, here we come,
Right back where we started from...; 6/11/14, 5:52 PM
Jason said...: Nobody's going to be madder about this than Obama when he reads about this in the paper.; 6/11/14, 6:09 PM
Bruce Hayden said...: Before anyone starts panicking here, keep in mind that there is a big sectarian split in Iraq. These are most likely Sunni Muslims, trying to align with Sunni Muslims in Syria. But, Iraq is a majority Shia state, while Syria is a majority Sunni state. Both were at one time ruled by those of essentially the minority sect in their country (my understanding is that the Syrian leadership are not strictly Shia, but rather, an offshoot of such). Thanks to U.S. intervention, and the overthrow of Saddam Hussein, that is no longer the case in Iraq.

I think that it is much more likely that Iraq aligns more closely with Iran, than Syria, in the future. Both are majority Shia states, and there is apparently now a lot of religious traffic between the two.

I should also note that the resurgence of al Qaeda in Iraq, and notably the recent fall of Mossul, are in the Sunni parts of Iraq, and esp. Anbar province. where they were strong before we defeated them during the "surge". My view is that this sectarian strife is a result of Churchill's split of the former Turkish areas after WW I, done without regard to the ethnic and religious background of those involved. Probably a lot less strife in the area if the Syrian regime would fall, replaced by a Sunni majority government, and Anbar, etc. given to Syria. The latter won't happen, of course, but I think that it would be helpful.; 6/11/14, 6:11 PM
Wince said...: How can we fight the jihadists over there when we've got the domestic Taliban holding hostages here.

Video Shows Conn. Teen Begging Mass. Judge To Let Her Go Home; 6/11/14, 7:09 PM
Dr Hubert Jackson said...: Good job Commander in Chief.; 6/11/14, 7:13 PM
Cedarford said...: Makes sense. Sunni Arabs don't much believe in the borders France and Britain drew up after WWI.

This is another part of the world where old borders are going to be altered by new states and by more annexations.; 6/11/14, 7:38 PM
Drago said...: Cedarford: "Makes sense. Sunni Arabs don't much believe in the borders France and Britain drew up after WWI."

Sunni Arabs also don't much believe that Spain shouldn't be returned as part of the caliphate.

Maybe we should give them what they want.

Since they make so much sense and all.; 6/11/14, 7:53 PM
The Crack Emcee said...: "The jihadist Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant posted pictures online of militants bulldozing a berm dividing Iraq and Syria,... symbolising its goal of uniting its forces in the two countries…."

What did chopping off those people's heads in Mosul "symbolize"?; 6/11/14, 8:03 PM
Sunslut7 said...: Somewhere Winston Churchill's ghost sighs and wanders off in search of FDR.

All kidding aside the I suspect that Baghdad will fall next ; most likely in the next 6 months and despite the best or worst efforts of this incompetent administration. You know in Rome they would have knifed and gutted Obama and his minions by now.

After that, then its probably going to be the absorption of Kurdistan,Syria,Jordan and Kuwait by the AQ juggernaut. The last one or Jordan will result in the USA returning to Iraq. Of course by then Al Qaeda will probably have nukes fro either Iran or Pakistan or from Pashtu-stan. In any case its time to brush up on the history of Islamic global expansion and on the history of the caliphate because its coming to a neighborhood near you. Sad to say Israel and Lebanon are facing a real threat to their existence of Jordan, Syria and Iraq fall.; 6/11/14, 8:10 PM
Seeing Red said...: What difference, at this point, does it make?

Barry has man made global warming to solve. If AQ sets off a nuke or 2, that should help, right?

This is what u voted for for your children. Gives u the warm fuzzies, doesn't it?; 6/11/14, 8:40 PM
David said...: Hell of a photo.

"The jihadists could be seen clearing a road through the berm . . . "

Or digging a large grave.; 6/11/14, 9:41 PM
jr565 said...: They just raided the banks and got 400 million dollars... To wage war and terrorism with. Plus a lot of OUR equipment like Humvees. Its almost like we're literally arming Al Qaeda.; 6/11/14, 9:52 PM
Lyle said...: The sacrifices made in Iraq are for nothing. Fuck our god damn President.; 6/11/14, 10:33 PM
Seeing Red said...: So what was going on in Benghazi again?; 6/11/14, 10:33 PM
Annie said...: Muslim Brotherhood has been jonesing since the '20s,to bring back the caliphate. Obama is giving them a helping hand. From Egypt, to Libya, and Syria. He has backed them and armed them. Egypt wasn't very happy about it.

He's got members in his administration. He's released five of their top commanders.

Hillary's Huma has a family full of them.; 6/12/14, 12:16 AM
Fred Drinkwater said...: I knew this would happen when I saw the disgustingly feeble response to Moqtada Sadr way back in 2003.; 6/12/14, 12:36 AM
Just asking questions (Jaq) said...: The Treaty of Versailles, the peace to end all peace.; 6/12/14, 5:15 AM
The Drill SGT said...: Apparently the Iraqi Army has fled throughout the entire North and the Kurds have stepped in to defend Kirkuk.

The Kurdish National Guard (Peshmerga) is at this point the best trained, experienced and led armed force in Iraq (I meant Kurdistan). The Kurds have an world class Airport at Erbil with a 16,000 ft runway and ILS, served by Lufthansa among others, so they aren't cut-off from US assistance.; 6/12/14, 7:33 AM
The Drill SGT said...: PS: The State Department hates the Kurds...

PPS: Our Army loves them...; 6/12/14, 8:31 AM
The Drill SGT said...: NYT: "WASHINGTON — As the threat from Sunni militants in western Iraq escalated last month, Prime Minister Nuri Kamal al-Maliki secretly asked the Obama administration to consider carrying out airstrikes against extremist staging areas, according to Iraqi and American officials.

But Iraq’s appeals for a military response have so far been rebuffed by the White House, which has been reluctant to open a new chapter in a conflict that President Obama has insisted was over when the United States withdrew the last of its forces from Iraq in 2011."; 6/12/14, 8:56 AM
Anonymous said...: Run, Shia! Run!

Iran is yet to be heard on this.
They went all-in to support Alawite Assad against the Sunni. What are they going to do in Iraq with a majority Shia population.

Wait for the other shoe to drop.; 6/12/14, 8:59 AM
Just asking questions (Jaq) said...: If anybody in that hellhole has earned out respect and support, it is the Kurds.; 6/12/14, 9:10 AM
The Drill SGT said...: tim in vermont said...
If anybody in that hellhole has earned out respect and support, it is the Kurds.

I agree, and normally supporting the Kurds would cause us problems with our strong ally, the Turks. however in this case, given the Turkish Government, F' them...; 6/12/14, 9:50 AM
Paul said...: Obama asleep at the wheel again.

It's Benghazi II. or III, or IV.

God knows just how much a fu!kup he is.; 6/12/14, 10:18 AM
Paul said...: The Kurds are like the Karen people in Burma and Nuggs in Vietnam.

Yes they all deserve our support but I know America will stab them in the back.; 6/12/14, 10:19 AM
Kirk Parker said...: Drill SGT,

PPPS: I hate our State Department.; 6/12/14, 3:57 PM